How to Teach Your Child Spanish

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By Anna Parker
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Anna in Costa Rica with two students of a local school

In this rapidly changing world, the demand to speak Spanish grows ever more important. The amount of people able to speak both English and Spanish steadily decreases. When your young kids are in middle school even, the need to be bilingual will be necessary. But you do not speak Spanish, what do you do?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Your child
Your brain
A computer with internet access
A local library with a children's section
Sticky notes and a pen
A desire to learn
Time to read to your child
Spanish/English dictionary

Step 1

Go to your local library and get a library card. If you have one, you have already completed part of step 1. Good job.
Go to the children's section of your library and find bilingual books. The best ones for beginners would be alphabet books, or simple ones for toddlers. You can also find books that are bilingual which will provide a Spanish and English translation for your words.
Step 2

Step #2
Read with your child. Start with the alphabet books and associate them with English. Be careful when you read them that both you and your child are able to understand what you are saying. You can read these books to your child as often as you like.
Step 3

Look up on the internet "Spanish Household Vocabulary." Find words that are associated with the things in your house (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc). Write those words on the sticky notes and stick them to the items they correspond with. For example, write "puerta" on the doors of your house. That way every time you walk past these places, you will see the words and remember them in Spanish.
Step 4

Repeat Steps 1-3 until you know lots of Spanish words. You can vary the books from the library, or even find books at a higher level. Watching shows like "Dora the Explorer" or "Go, Diego, Go" will teach your children Spanish by association. You can also find Dr. Seuss bilingual books at your local book store, and read them with your child and look up the unknown words in your dictionary.